Movie Time: "Kill the Umpire" (1950)

                                         

You may recall that at the end of the "Screen Directors Playhouse" adaptation of "It Happens Every Spring," we heard that director Lloyd Bacon's current movie was "Kill the Umpire."

As it happens, that's my other favorite baseball movie!

It stars William Bendix as an umpire-hating baseball fan who reluctantly attends umpire school, leading to all sorts of wacky antics!

Here's a reissue trailer:

Some of the gags are very cartoonish, which is understandable, as the screenplay was by Frank Tashlin, who first came to prominence as an animation director at Warner Brothers before he moved into the live-action field.

William Bendix was a versatile performer, adept at drama and comedy, but he's best-remembered for starring in the radio/TV show "The Life of Riley" and he's in that mode here as Bill Johnson.

William Bendix doesn't want anything to distract Tom D'Andrea from his umpirely duties!

Interestingly, Bill's pal at umpire school is played by Tom D'Andrea and they display good chemistry, which someone must have noticed, as D'Andrea was cast as Riley's pal Gillis when the Bendix version of "The Life of Riley" premiered on TV in 1953.

A couple of other future "Riley" regulars, Henry Kulky and Emory Parnell, have small roles in "Kill the Umpire," which is fun!

Also in the cast is Ray Collins, who had been in "It Happens Every Spring." Also in both movies was future "Skipper" Alan Hale, Jr.!

Jeff Richards with future "Dennis the Menace" TV mom Gloria Henry

Further intriguing casting is Jeff Richards (billed here as Richard Taylor - his real name) in an early role shortly after he left his pro baseball career to pursue acting. He's well-cast as a baseball player! I'd say he's best-remembered as Benjamin, the second-oldest brother in 1954's "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

In any event, "Kill the Umpire" is a lot of fun, with Bill Bendix in top form!